A brush with hypothermia

[Harvestman]

When I went out to collect in my freshly-emptied bins this morning, I noticed the bin men looking into the bushes. It turned out that they had spotted a hedgehog that they said "didn't look right". I took it in and determined that it was uninjured, but moving in a very uncoordinated way. In the picture it had been placed on its back, and was unable to right itself.

It was a juvenile, from this year's litter. I weighed it at 285g on my kitchen scales.

A phone call to the Hedgehog Preservation Society determined that I had a hypothermic hedgehog, probably as a result of the recent heavy rain and winds. I stuck the little beastie in a recycling bin, and added a towel and a hot water bottle, and took it indoors into the warm.

By the time that I delivered the little guy to a local vet who looks after hedgehogs he already seemed improved. I hope he makes a full recovery.

 

[Toddy]

Good on you

One of my friends wrote a, "How to help hedgehogs", type tutorial. I'll see if he'll post it here too.

atb,
M

 

[Harvestman]

The vets said that my hedgehog was the second hypothermic hedgehog that they had received this afternoon. The unseasonal weather has not been kind to this year's juveniles as they look for new homes of their own, on top of the usual hazards of traffic and habitat loss.

 

[baggins]

well done mate. we have 2 regulars here in our urban 'bliss' in Cov. so good to see them every evening, snuffling around. will keep some heat packs ready now, plus a couple of space blankets if needed.

 

[British Red]

Got to love a snufflepig. Nice story

 

[awarner]

I rescued a young one a few years back, made a run for it in the garden and fed it cat food and hedgehog biscuits until he got to the 700g weight for release back into the wild.

 

[Harvestman]

Well I rang the vet today and they confirmed that the hedgehog made a full recovery from its hypothermia, and it is now with a carer who has experience of nursing them back to full health, so this juvenile will be well looked after until it gains sufficient weight to be able to hibernate successfully.

 

[Cyclingrelf]

I love a happy ending well done saving little tiggywinkle.

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

 

[Goatboy]

You know reading this I've just thought that in the decade I've been up here I've not seen a hedgehog locally. Wonder why they're not figured in the local fauna?
We seem to have everything else and all the assorted food they'd need. Maybe I'm just too high up?
Nearest one I've seen was about 12 miles away.
Loads of raptors, deer and foxes though and the toad and mustelid populations are pretty healthy too.
I like hedgehogs so well done to Harestman for saving the wee hedgepig.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.